The Christmas tree is up

We set up our Christmas tree today which presented me all these lovely memories from our married season here in the States.  The first year we were here we bought a $25 fake Christmas tree. It felt really expensive to buy that tree at a time when our funds were at their most uncertain and it felt like our budget was stretched.  However, I decided that for me, a Christmas tree at Christmas is a necessity.  So I bought a packet of candy canes for a dollar and a cheap string of lights to decorate it with.  I was excited to find the Chrsitmas tree came pre-strung with lights and we could use the extra string to decorate a small part of our apartment.  

Now we have a lovely eclectic collection of decorations.  That first year, Mum and Dad sent us three decorations that are symbollic of NZ - a pohutukawa tree flower, a kowhai tree flower and a pukeko bird.  The next year they'd visited Australia and we got a kangaroo decoration.  Last year, Aunty Liz gave us some instruments, and this year we got a big star from my parents.  These decorations are all regular sized and kind of dwarf our tiny tree.  To add to these I've bought a miniature nativity set to hang, some miniature gold and silver bows, and a set of tiny ginergbread men and women.  Students have given us some large silver balls and a pretty angel topper.  A couple of years ago we made some decorations out of cinammon dough at church.  The dough is made out of apple sauce, glue and cinammon.  We then used cookie cutters to shape them, covering them with glitter, ribbon, and little red baubles.  They make strong decorations and smell delightful when you first open the box.   I've also crocheted some green and red flowers.   We have several strands of lights which we pick up at yard sales and thrift stores and we will hang them around our windows.  They're so pretty in these dimly lit apartments. 

I really wanted to buy a real tree this year but after a new pram,* I couldn't justify spending more money on a tree when I think of all the millions of things this new little baby will need.  It looks like my in-laws might visit next Christmas so perhaps we'll get the real tree for baby's first Christmas.

*I know I'm buying it relatively early as we're only 15 weeks pregnant, but it was on sale and I didn't want to miss out on the sale.